NetherRealm Studio has been very successful in reinventing and once again popularizing their most known IP, Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat has been in the spotlight since the ninth game of the series. Time travel reset the game's story, allowed for reimagined versions of characters, and improved graphics on top of all that contributed to the series' success. Mortal Kombat has always been a genuinely fun fighting game that has only become more technical and fun to watch.
However, not all people play Mortal Kombat for the same reasons. Some play it for its story and wish there were more fighting games with good single-player content. Others just like the gameplay itself instead and would rather have less gore in the game. Some just want to spend time with family and friends button mashing and having fun.
10 Injustice
Another game made by NetherRealms Studio, Injustice is a Fighting Game that feels very much like Mortal Kombat in many ways. Both games share the four-buttons layout and similar inputs for special moves. In many ways, the movement of the characters, the pacing of the game, and even the animations feel very familiar to those who play Mortal Kombat.
Injustice also has a very successful sequel called Injustice 2. The second game is an improvement on the previous one. It has better graphics, new characters, and keeps the mechanical feel of the first Injustice.
9 Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
This game sold many copies but was not very well received. Still, for those who are looking for fun and casual gameplay, this is a good game to spend an afternoon. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is precisely what the name indicates. It is a crazy game in which Raiden might be facing Superman in a 1v1 first fight.
The game plays fairly similar to older Mortal Kombat games. It also contains fatalities but they are significantly less brutal due to the DC Characters being in the game.
8 Killer Instinct
The sinister, weird setting is all that Killer Instinct has with Mortal Kombat. The mechanics are quite different, and the game uses a 6 buttons layout that is needed for the combo-heavy gameplay. It is a fast-paced fighting game that should appeal to general fans of the genre, however.
7 The King Of Fighters
Fighting games usually provide many different fighters for players to choose and express themselves as. However, no fighting game does this better than The King of Fighters. Known for the gigantic rosters, The King of Fighters also provides a twist in the fighting fame formula.
This is a team-based game in which players fight by picking three people teams to fight. This allows deeper strategies and counter-picks in a way that makes this title stand out in the genre. The King of Fighters also has many different versions, from beautiful sprite art to 3D.
6 Street Fighter 5
When Mortal Kombat 11 came out, the heavy footsies-based gameplay was made immediately obvious. This was made even more obvious since the game came out during the success of another footsies-based fighting game, Street Fighter 5.
Curiously, the concepts of these two games are not completely different. Besides your obvious high-low mix-ups that all Mortal Kombat games have, there is a lot of spacing and whiff punishing in both games.
5 Tekken 7
A four buttons game that is extremely footsies heavy but will be quite easy to pick up and play. Tekken 7 also has a wide variety of characters, but they generally fall into a more comical style. Although Tekken is a fighting game that has an extremely high skill ceiling, there is no need to get super technical when just having fun.
Most characters will do something if you mash the buttons, and there are many easy-to-learn special moves. The game even facilitates special moves by providing button combinations that bypass motion inputs
4 Dragon Ball FighterZ
Many people play Mortal Kombat for some casual fun with their friends. If that is the case, this fighting game might be a good way to relax. Especially for those who are trying to spend time with young members of the family, for instance. Dragon Ball FighterZ moves away from the gore and brutality, but it is one of the best anime fighters ever made.
The game is easy to learn how to play. It has auto-combos for those mashing the same button. Besides, all the special moves use the same motion. It still has a high skill ceiling, but most people who play this game competitively do not go for Mortal Kombat and vice versa.
3 Soul Calibur 6
For those who do not go online to play fighting games, this game is certainly a great choice. Although players can go and face others in multiplayer, Soul Calibur is known for its amazing single-player content. The game is also closer to MK since it does not have left and right mix-ups. It uses a block button, two buttons for a weapon, and one for kicking.
Soul Calibur 6's single-player content is indeed surprisingly good. It has a story mode, arcade mode, and single-player RPG-like campaign. Players even get to create their own fighter. The campaign might not be surprisingly lengthy, but it is good nonetheless.
2 Dead Or Alive 6
This is another of those games that are easy to start and mash in order to make cool things come out. Dead or Alive 6 is a game in which you have many cool characters, special moves, and in which the scenario makes a difference in the combat. This is another game that is fun, simple, and easy but has an extremely high ceiling.
For martial arts and old action movies fans, Dead or Alive 6 has it all. Ninjas, stereotypes, and also a single-player story mode that might please those into single player content.
1 Virtua Fighter
A game that is about to return, Virtua Fighter was a technological marvel at the beginning of the 3D fighting games era. Known for its highly technical gameplay and footsie-based games with a block button, it might feel slightly familiar to Mortal Kombat 11 fans at first.
Although it can be played casually depending on the characters picked, Virtua Fighters is one of the most technically demanding and nuanced fighting games out there. This is one of the reasons why it has an amazing MetaCritic score. So this is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a challenge.